Hollow Men
by The Lone Wanderer
Summary: Between the conception and the creation, between the emotion and the response, falls the Shadow. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. Yesterday, Again re-write with added twists.


**So . . . I was bored today, so I was re-reading _Yesterday, Again_, and decided that it was a piece of crap. It's been about a year since I started that, and I've matured a lot (at least, I think so), so I'm trying again with the story.**

**It's essentially the same story (Zack going back in time, yaddya yaddya), but there will be some differences, so even if you followed _Yesterday, Again_, you'll wanna read this.**

**Playlist for this chapter: No More Running Away (Air Traffic), Butterflies and Hurricanes (Muse), Umbrella (Dntel), Here Without You (3 Doors Down)**

**Lemme know whatcha think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII**

Zack stumbled forward, throwing his hands out in front of him to catch his fall. He landed with a thud, hands outstretched. He cracked an eye open, and was almost blinded. He was surrounded by white. Above him, below him, to his left and right. It was claustrophobic, but at the same time, not. Zack pushed himself to his knees, wondering where the hell he was.

When he stood he began to feel a gentle breeze, though there was no characteristic whistle from the wind, just cool air brushing against his bare arms and his long spike that fell in front of his eyes swaying back and forth slowly.

"Zackary Fair," a voice boomed, causing Zack to stumble backwards. He regained his balance quickly though, and looked up to see Minerva standing before him, her gold and white armor glistening from the surrounding white. A crescent metal piece wrapped around her neck, and two white wings extended out from behind her, though they ignored the wind that pushed Zack's hair around, instead staying perfectly in place, not a feather out of position.

"Uh . . . hi?" Zack said, unsure of what else to say. Minerva raised her hand, suddenly lifting Zack off the ground and engulfing him in green light. He grunted when he was dropped to his knees, but it was more a reflex than anything. He didn't feel tired or worn out at all – in fact, he felt invigorated.

He began to pat himself down to check for damages, grimacing when his gloved hands felt over the bullet holes in his SOLDIER sweater, but the grimace turning into a look of awe when he felt no scars on his chest. In fact, all of his scars were gone except for the single _X_ on his face left from Angeal. He wondered why.

"You have not fulfilled your destiny on the Planet," Minerva stated, lowering her hand slowly. Zack watched her warily. What did she mean, destiny?

Zack scratched the back of his head. "Well, I wasn't exactly _planning _on dying three miles outside of Midgar."

Minerva shook her head. "You were meant to keep Angeal alive, Genesis from losing himself, and Sephiroth sane. You did manage to keep Cloud Strife alive, and his future will involve saving the world, but not without a price. The last Ancient, Aerith Gainsborough, will die in the process."

Zack's knees suddenly felt weak. "No!" he cried, running towards the Goddess. He wasn't even thinking, he was driven by pure rage. How could Minerva dare let Aerith die? "Kill me again, I don't care! Just . . . don't kill Aerith!"

He was almost at Minerva when she blasted him with a wave of energy, sending him sprawling backwards on his back. "Stop," she commanded. Zack wearily got back to his feet, ready for a fight. There was no way he was going to let Minerva kill Aerith.

"Relax," Minerva said, though Zack barely heard her. He was bouncing up and down on his toes, fists clenching then unclenching. "I am giving you a second chance."

Zack stopped suddenly, quirking an eyebrow at the Goddess. "You're . . . what?"

"Giving you a second chance to save the hollow men." Before Zack could ask her what exactly she meant, another wave of energy sent him flying.

He was literally parallel to the ground as he began his descent. Though instead of this time hitting the ground hard, he heard a splash as he descended into cold water.

His head exploded into pain and he gripped it, opening his mouth to gasp. Instinctively he tried breathing to stifle the pain, and he began to cough as water filled his lungs.

Zack opened his eyes but still only saw the white that surrounded him previously, though Minerva was gone. Black spots began to dot his vision, before he finally succumbed to his oxygen deprivation and lost conciousness.

–

**Like it so far?**

**-The Lone Wanderer**


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